Cooking by colour

Oof! It's been almost a month since I last wrote anything. Fortunately, it's not because any of us in our socially distant world have been ill - but busy! I hope it's the same for you.

Like many parents lately, it's all been home schooling. Oh. My. God. A return to school can't come soon enough in so many ways. I love my children dearly, but I'm not cut-out to be their teacher! It's hard work and I take my hat off to all the teachers out there.

Over the school holidays we've been busy with limiting screen time (constant battle!), and going on a walk or cycle every day. We have made it a project to try to visit every street in the suburb so we take a different track each time.

We've also been doing a lot of cooking and to get them away from the usual chocolate cake and Nutella muffins, we've been cooking by colour.

Cooking by colour is fun and educational. It is a good way to introduce children to new fruit and vegetables; it gives them a reason to research, read and prepare new recipes and dishes; and, of course, they get to eat something healthy.

This week our colour has been orange and this is what made me think of writing here.

Like all fruits and vegetables, orange foods are high in antioxidants and Vitamin A, and they also provide benefits to skin, hair and eyes. They are also linked to improved health benefits generally such as being better for bone strength, helping to lower 'bad' (LDL) cholesterol, being good for collagen formation and importantly in the current times, supporting our immune system.

In most cases, not only can you eat the flesh, but also the skin and the seeds. Think of pumpkin!

And, talking of pumpkin, in our research we came across a great tip for hand treatment.

TIP: To half-a-cup of pumpkin puree, add a dash of extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon of raw honey. Blend these together until you have a smooth paste and massage it into your hands. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Beautiful for your hands.